E1. 01-16-24 Council Minutes CITY of
KALISPELL
CITY COUNCIL DRAFT MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, January 16, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers, 201 First Avenue East
The public was able to participate in person in the council chambers or via videoconferencing.
Video of this meeting with time stamped minutes can be found at:
https://www.kalispell.com/480/Meetin2-Videos.
A. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Mark Johnson called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
B. ROLL CALL
Mayor-Mark Johnson: Present
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Present
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: Present
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Present
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Present
Council Member- Jed Fisher: Present
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Present
Council Member- Jessica Dahlman: Present
Council Member- Ryan Hunter: Present
Staff present included City Manager Doug Russell, City Attorney Johnna Preble, City Clerk
Aimee Brunckhorst, Development Services Director Jarod Nygren, and Police Chief Jordan
Venezio.
C. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
D. AGENDA APPROVAL
Motion and Vote to approve the agenda as published.
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Motion
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: 2nd
Mayor-Mark Johnson: Approve
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Approve
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: Approve
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Approve
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Approve
Council Member- Jed Fisher: Approve
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Approve
Council Member- Jessica Dahlman: Approve
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 16, 2024
Council Member- Ryan Hunter: Approve
The motion passed unanimously on voice vote.
E. CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed on the consent agenda will be accepted by one motion. If a council member
desires to discuss an item separately, the item can be removed from the consent agenda by
motion.
1. Council Minutes —December 18, 2023, and January 2, 2024 0a 10a
2. Approval of Change Order for the 2023 Kalispell Tank and Wells Project
- a
This item considers a change order for $95,374.83 to S & L Underground,
Inc. for schedule 4 of this project.
Public Comment
Mayor Johnson opened public comment on the consent agenda. Seeing none, he closed public
comment.
Motion and Vote to approve the consent agenda as published.
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Motion
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: 2nd
Mayor-Mark Johnson: Approve
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Approve
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: Approve
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Approve
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Approve
Council Member- Jed Fisher: Approve
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Approve
Council Member- Jessica Dahlman: Approve
Council Member- Ryan Hunter: Approve
The motion passed unanimously on roll call vote.
F. COMMITTEE REPORTS—None.
G. PUBLIC COMMENT
Mayor Johnson opened public comment.
00:04:00 Sarah Hardinz,Public Comment
Ms. Harding is the new owner of Kalispell Community Thrift located in the historic
Scandinavian Methodist Church located on the corner of 5th Avenue West. She explained she is
gathering support letters for an application for a Historic Preservation Grant through the
Department of Commerce to preserve the historic building. She explained it needs a new roof,
has broken windows, and new paint, etc. She asked if Council would be willing to write a letter
of support for the grant.
Mayor Johnson spoke to the possibility of the City providing the support letter requested.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 16, 2024
City Manager Russell pointed out that the application would be competing with city applications
for the grant.
Ms. Harding mentioned that last year 4,000 historic preservation grants were awarded.
Mayor Johnson asked that Ms. Harding submit her request to the City Clerk's office for
processing.
Seeing no further public comment he closed public comment.
Public comment received to Mayor and Council via email to publiccomment@kalispell.com can
be seen at
hitps://time.ci.kalispell.mt.us/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=128274&dbid=0&repo=Kalispell.
H. REPORTS, RECOMMENDATIONS,AND SUBSEQUENT COUNCIL ACTION
1. Resolution 6179—Intent to Hold a Public Hearing for the State-Local Infrastructure
Partnership Act of 2023 (HB355
This item considers collecting public input on February 5,2024, on eligible projects
using funds from HB355.
City Manager Russell provided the staff presentation on this item.
00:06:51 Councilor Hunter asked for clarification about the process to add sidewalk replacement
in some manner to the list of potential projects.
00:11:30 Councilor Graham asked for further clarification.
Public Comment
Mayor Johnson opened public comment. Seeing none, he closed public comment.
00:13:05
Motion and Vote to approve Resolution 6179, a resolution of intent calling for a public
hearing rmardin2 the eligible proiects to be partially funded by the State-Local
Infrastructure Partnership Act of 2023 (SLIPA) and the City of Kalispell.
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Motion
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: 2nd
Mayor-Mark Johnson: Approve
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Approve
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: Approve
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Approve
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Approve
Council Member- Jed Fisher: Approve
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Approve
Council Member- Jessica Dahlman: Approve
Council Member- Ryan Hunter: Approve
The motion passed unanimously on roll call vote.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 16, 2024
2. Resolution 6180 —Adjustments to the West Side Urban Renewal— Core Area Tax
Increment Financing and the Downtown Kalispell Tax Increment Financing
Assistance Programs lwa
This item considers increasing financing assistance limits within these TIF
Districts.
City Manager Doug Russell began the presentation.
Director of Development Services Jarod Nygren provided the staff report.
Public Comment
Mayor Johnson opened public comment. Seeing none,he closed public comment.
00:15:56
Motion and Vote to approve Resolution 6180, a resolution amending the expenditure limits
of the "Downtown Kalispell Tax Increment Financing Assistance Program" and the City of
Kalispell West Side Urban Renewal— Core Area Tax Increment Financing District
Assistance Program" as recommended by the City of Kalispell Urban Renewal Agency.
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Motion
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: 2nd
Mayor-Mark Johnson: Approve
Council Member- Kari Gabriel: Approve
Council Member- Sandy Carlson: Approve
Council Member- Sam Nunnally: Approve
Council Chair - Chad Graham: Approve
Council Member- Jed Fisher: Approve
Council Member- Sid Daoud: Approve
Council Member- Jessica Dahlman: Approve
Council Member- Ryan Hunter: Approve
The motion passed unanimously on roll call vote.
L CITY MANAGER, COUNCIL,AND MAYOR REPORTS (No Action)
City Manager Doug Russell provided the following report:
• Budget meetings will start with a review of solid waste master planning at the next work
session on January 22, 2024,with street assessment to be discussed during a February
work session. Since January 29 is a fifth Monday,there will not be a Council meeting
that night.
• Manager Russell explained how the Regional Opioid Governance Structure will need to
be set up to work with the County to meet requirements to allow for distribution of
further opioid settlement funds that came to the state. Those will be distributed per
region, so a region will need to be set up with a governance structure to review
applications that the state trust receives, reviews, and then sends to the regional structure.
Funding would then go from the state to those applicants. Manager Russell asked for
direction from Council on their preference for how the structure is developed and who
should be included to make up a committee so he can take that information to ongoing
discussions.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 16, 2024
00:21:15 Councilor Dahlman provided direction to the City Manager related to reaching out to
social service professionals to be included on the committee.
00:22:04 Councilor Hunter would agree with Dahlman recommending Health department staff,
social services staff, and staff from the criminal justice community.
00:22:40 Councilor Gabriel spoke regarding her experiences with similar topics and suggested
reaching out to local preventions specialists to see what coalitions are currently in place. She
does feel it would be appropriate to add several elected officials in addition to specialists.
00:24:22 Council Dahlman spoke further about seeking help from social service providers.
00:24:55 Manager Russell spoke to further steps that will be taken.
00:25:44 Councilor Nunnally thanked the Police Department for their assistance related to water
breaks at the Fairgrounds. He reminded the public to drive carefully and be safe with the big
snow event coming.
00:26:30 Mayor Johnson spoke with appreciation of the workers with Flathead Electric that went
out of their way during the recent cold snap and thanked the social service providers for all their
support to the community in times of need.
00:27:27 Mayor Johnson asked Council if they would be interested in some sort of intervention
or an amicus brief by the City if appropriate related to the lawsuit against Senate Bill 382, asking
for an explanation from the City Attorney about what intervention would entail. The Mayor
talked about the frustrations with the bill.
00:28:48 City Attorney Johnna Preble spoke regarding the ways in which the City could
intervene with the suit and what those choices would entail.
00:29:36 Councilor Hunter spoke in opposition to any City intervention related to the bill saying
he is opposed to the lawsuit and speaking further about his views on the bill.
00:32:09 Councilor Nunnally would like to know more information about moving forward with
some sort of intervention.
00:32:37 Councilor Graham would like to know more about moving forward cautiously with
intervention of some sort related to the lawsuit. He spoke further about his views.
00:33:39 Councilor Gabriel asked where other cities are at as related to this.
00:34:00 Mayor Johnson spoke regarding an upcoming League of Cities and Towns Board
meeting that will include a legislative committee report. He believes the League may decide to
intervene in support of the bill. He provided his views on why he is opposed to Bill 382.
00:36:41 City Attorney Johnna Preble spoke regarding how a motion to intervene would need to
be timely and provided further details.
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Kalispell City Council Minutes, January 16, 2024
Mayor Johnson spoke regarding not wanting to officially intervene, but possibly submit an
amicus brief if it gets appealed to the Supreme Court.
00:38:01 Councilor Daoud spoke regarding his views that all zoning should be eliminated.
00:38:23 Mayor Johnson said the Governor has appointed his Tax Task Force and is
disappointed he did not appoint the economists or other experts from the State Universities.
J. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Johnson adjourned the meeting at 7:42 p.m.
Aimee Brunckhorst, CMC
City Clerk
Minutes approved on
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
City Offices Closed—January 15, 2024—Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Next Work Session—January 22, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. —Council Chambers
Next Regular Meeting—February 5, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. —Council Chambers
PARTICIPATION
Watch City Council sessions live with the agenda and supporting documents or later with
documents and time stamped minutes at: hlt2s://www.kalispell.com/48O/Meeting-Videos.
Watch City Council sessions live or later on Charter Cable Ch. 190 or via the City YouTube
page at: hLtps://www.youtube.com/(2cilyofkalispellmontana9632/streams.
ofkalispellmontana9632/streams.
The City does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its programs, services, activities, and
employment practices. Auxiliary aids are available. For questions about disability
accommodation please contact the City Clerk at 406-758-7756.
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